The blood on these hands (Clove Kentwell)

Chapter 2

Everyone looked at her as she just stood there not moving afraid if she did she would be seen by the peacekeepers and they would take her away. Azalea said her name again and Iris slowly started moving toward the stage. She didn't dare meet anyone's eyes she just looked at the ground like it was going to save her even though she knew it wouldn't. When she made it to the stage she slowly went up the stairs making sure she didn't trip. "Lovely!" Azalea said loud into the mic " now for the male tribute." She went to the bowl and said stuck her hand in until eventually she pulled one out. That one little card could mean someone's death. Azalea came back to the microphone and opened the card "Gabe Bogart"
Iris didn't recognize the name or the guy but she analyzed him as he walked to the stage. He was a puny guy a little taller then Iris, brown hair, brown eyes, but his face said it all he didn't want to be here, he wanted to be anywhere else but here knowing his death was closer than he wanted it to be. It felt like ages before he got to the stage it was like everything was moving in slow motion. "Go on shake hands." Azalea said, we both turned to each other and Iris stuck out her hand and he hesitated before taking it. Everyone started clapping then everything was a blur they were shoved into little rooms and in a few minutes Iris's family came in. Her mother came and hugged her immediately calming her saying stuff like it was going to be okay or you are going to be alright but Iris knew that all of it was a lie. When her mom finally let go of her Iris knelt down to her brother and hugged him he gave her a lily as a gift and he painfully smiled at Iris."I picked it in the meadow behind our house." Max said. Iris took the lily and hugged him again. "If there is an axe get it you can at least handle it and know how to use one." Her mom said on the brink of tears. Iris was on the verge of crying but held herself together for her mom and brother "Mom I don't-" " Yes you can, those six years with your dad didn't mean nothing! You learned the basics of survival and how to chop down trees using an axe!" Her yelling got softer until it turned into her crying. "He knew this day would come and he didn't want to leave you with no way to defend yourself or no survival skills He didn't expect to die that early but he knew it was coming ever since he got behind on his bills for his shop." By the end she was sobbing as Iris held her for a moment and the peace keepers came in and took them away that's when her brother lost it kicking and fighting the peacekeepers to stay with Iris or to just give her one final hug but He was gone within the blink of an eye. A few seconds passed and more peacekeepers came in and grabbed Iris by the arm and drug her to the train. At this point she let them because there was no point in kicking and screaming because all it would do is waste energy and make everyone's life harder so she just let them take her.

     Once she got on the train she couldn't believe her eyes, there was food upon food that filled every table or glasses filled with drinks of all different colors, it smelled so delightful that Iris could taste the food without even eating it. A guy came out from one of the train doors with food in his hand. Iris and Gabe looked at each other with questioning eyes before turning back to look at the man. "Oh right this is the part where I introduce myself. I am Porter Tripp winner of the sixty-first hunger games." "My name is-" "I already know who you two are." He said as he smiled "One of you will be the victor of the 74th hunger games." Iris's jaw almost dropped when he said that. "Because of how good of a mentor I am." Porter said with a smile on his face. Iris rolled her eyes no way this guy fought in the hunger games and won either he got really lucky or the other tributes felt so bad for him they let him win. "Man y'all stink go freshen up and get some rest we can start after y'all wake up." Once again Iris and Gabe looked at each other because this was the best they have smelled in months. "Now, go."  Porter said moving them to their bathrooms with haste. Gabe went into his room and Iris went into hers. Iris looked around in awe it was so nice she felt like she didn't even deserve to be here in this bedroom. The bed was soft as she ran her hand across it felt almost like touching a cloud, the pillows felt soft as silk as she ran her hand along them in awe. She found an empty glass and filled it with water from her bathroom sink, she then put the lily that max gave her in it. She finally made her way to the bathroom and got in the shower. "Man even the shower water feels expensive." Iris whispered to herself as she let the hot water run down her back, all the soaps were perfectly in a row, she had to smell all of them before choosing the one that she liked the most. After getting done with her shower she got a very expensive looking hairbrush and toothbrush out to get ready for bed. Once she was done with all of that she crawled into the cloud like bed and got under the silk covers and rested her head on the silk pillow. "This is the best I have ever felt in my whole life." Iris said with a smile on her face before falling asleep having completely forgotten the reason she was there in the first place.